Texas Phrases?

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micheletmoore

I think in general, talking is different in Texas than in the northern states. It is not just about the sayings or slang, although there are a lot of true sayings on here.

Ya'll, fixin to, and coke being representative of all sodas (soda water is usually only the much older generation) are VERY common. The others mentioned that are used, but not as frequently.

Another one I have heard a few times is "I am so hungry my stomach thinks my throat's been cut."

Also, "you best not" Like, "You best not be puttin your fingers in that pie, son." Used as one step further than you better not, after all if something is better than something else that is one thing, but best is a step above, it is better than all the rest. :)

Chunk- Chunk it in the basket- means to toss lightly or put in.

Layin' up: Resting or meditating. Or as Southern women usually put it, loafing. "Cecil didn't go to work today 'cause of a chronic case of laziness. He's been layin' up in the house all day, drivin' me crazy."

Let alone: Much less. "He can't even hold a job and support himself, let alone support a family."

Let out: Dismissed. "What time does school let out?"

Mind to: To have the intention of doing something. "Ah got a mind to quit my job and just loaf for a while."

PEEcans: Northerners call them peCONNS for some obscure reason. "Honey, go out in the yard and pick up a bunch of PEEcans. I'm gonna make us a pie."

Pick at: To pester and annoy. "Jimmy, Ah told you not to pick at your little sister."

Raut: A method of getting from one place to another which Southerners pronounce to rhyme with "kraut". Yankees, for reasons that remain shrouded in mystery, pronounce "route" to rhyme with "root". Or worse still, "foot."

Sass: to speak in an impertinent manner. "Don't sass me, young lady. You're not too old to get a whippin'."

Shudenoughta: Should not. "You shudenoughta have another drink."

There are also the way things are said that sounds different. Jeff Foxworthy is well know for the redneck words like mayonnaise (Mayonnaise (replacing man there is) a lot a people here today, aorta You know, aorta (replacing they ought to) mow that grass in the park, iniciate My wife ate a burrito, iniciate (replacing and then she ate), wit-cha-didja You didn't bring your truck wit-cha-didja (replacing with you did you) We laugh, because we know that is what we sound like.

In Texas it is not naked, its nekked. There is a lot of honey, and sweetie going on when women talk, and sometimes the more they smile and call you honey, the more they are itchin' to rip your hair out.

Adults are called Miss or Mr followed by their first name. So I am Miss Michele and my husband is Mr Dwayne. It is impolite to call an adult by their first name alone unless asked to by them, and that is rarely done. I am 32 and I call the childrens ministry leader at church Miss Audry and our preacher is Pastor Mark , it is a way of being respectful once you are familiar with someone. If there is an elderly person or person older than you that you are just meeting and you are not well aquainted with them, then you would call them Mr, Miss, or Mrs followed by their last name, but once they are familiar you switch to the title with the first name. I would not be as quick to do this with an elderly person because it (in my opinion) takes longer to reach a level of familiarity with them. Children follow this rule as well as Yes Ma'am and No, Sir. It is considered rude to Yeah or What? an adult and it is corrected by most parents. (Not all, in the last 20 years there have been a lot of northern transplants and it has not always been taught to their children, and some children are slow to pick up the art of manners and grace. I was born in DE and not taught this in my home, but learned it in friends home and recognize it as the way things are. So I teach it to my children.)

You should come, visit, spend some time. Drink sweet tea and see all the amazing things that are fried down here (orka, corn, squash, zuchinni, cheese, twinkies, pickles, and green beans) The people are wonderful and the foot is yummy. I recommend not coming in the summer though, if you are in Missouri you have no idea what the words "hot" and "humid" mean. Come in the winter, it is not that cold. Or come this time of year, it has been between 65 and 79 for 3 weeks and my son is already swimming (pool is not heated). See ya'll soon. :)

William K

The posters above have some good ones, but here's one that takes the cake:

"You can put a pig in a prom dress and lipstick. When all is said and done you still have a pig, and the pig may even like it, but it is still a pig!" (This means that no matter how you try and spin something, or fix the outward image, you still have what was originally there to begin with.)

"If pigs had wings they'd be pigeons." (This means "big deal.")

"Like white on rice." (As in, you'd think Bill Clinton would be all over Miss America like white on rice!)

One thing... PEEcans is from Connecticut and the northeast. PuhCONNS are grown in Texas.

Texans put the stress on different syllables of certain words. Yankee inSURance is Texan INsurance, for example.

The street that parallels Memorial Drive near the Galleria is pronounced San FILLapee, not San Felipe (except on the news). But, if you drive west to Exit 723, and go north for 3 miles, you are in the town of San Felipe (it was Stephen F. Austin's land grant).

EDIT: Forgot one that seems to be native to Texas. I first heard it back in the 70s and rarely hear it anywhere else:
"$h!t outta luck" which is commonly abbreviated SOL.

Another one: "BFE," meaning far far away from where you are. The abbreviation stands for BumFuq Egypt. How it became synonymous with far away I don't know. If you asked someone where they lived, for example, and they said, "Way out in BumFuq Egypt" you'd know it was a fair piece to go. They might also say, "Egypt" and you'd know. It was abbreviated BFE when it became mainstream. Supposedly there is a place in Egypt with this name, but I never bothered to find out.

cowgirl09

Who says you all in texas????
no one....... we say YALL :D

Jerry_S.

Somebody can remark about anything and if we agree we're lialble to say "I'll tell you what......."

giggleboxx_d

We say "coke" for all soft drinks.

"Y'all" is a popular phrase.

Many times we say, "I'm fixing to go to the store"--Instead of, "I'm about to go to the store."

John P

In Houston, we use "feeder" to mean the service/frontage road.
"Don't piss in my boots, and tell me its raining" - means don't lie to me
"Dadgumit" - Damn

There was an email forward that had a bunch of these on it. If anyone has it handy, they should post it here.

Konswayla

Yesterday it was sooooo hot, I saw 2 trees fightin' over a dog.

That dawg won't hunt.

Santa C

When Texans change a "tar" they are referring to the kind of "tar" made by Goodyear, Michelin, etc.

"Please turn off the lights when you leave the room, otherwise, you'll use up all the electricity."

"If English was good enough for Jesus, it should be good enough for Texas." I understand that a Texas legislator actually said this and I thought this was funny. It's actually a comment about the English language and in the context of bilingual education in public schools; I don't believe any religious commentary was intended.

I agree with the respondent who noted that Texans are always "fixin" to mow the yard or "fixin" to go to church. I guess they mean that they are getting ready to mow the yard or to go to church.

"Dayum!" is what a Texan might say when he stubs his toe. Other ppl might say "damn"

Before some Texans have a cow, let me note that not all Texans make these comments.

james h

that food is so good your lips'll fall off

dont make me slap the lips off that chicken

i wouldnt go piss'n on that hot wire fence

just get some illegal mexicans to do it

Tighter than bark on a tree

This ain't my first rodeo

Big hat, no cattle

There are thousands but here are a few that i use and some of the people around me use

SweetKarma

Dayum! What are y'all talkin' 'bout? Ya mean everyone doesn't say the above mentioned things? ;-)

Yeeehawwww!

carlos l

i've run into people here when i first moved to houston from california asking me if i wanted a 'soda-water'

and people were asking me where do u 'stay' at?

Hamlet

"He's all hat, no cattle" (talks big, can't back it up)
"This ain't my first rodeo" (I've been around, nobody's fool)
"Don't squat with your spurs on" (use common sense.
I lived in Missouri for years before moving to Texas. I found a lot of the Ozark lingo was the same as Texas lingo, such as "Over yonder", "Fixin to.." "Dawg" "Youngens" and "Skeered of his own shadow". Being from around Lebanon, Missouri, I say "Youns" and Real Texans say "You-all".

Boo Too

"Where you stay at?" WHAT??? What part of Texas are you in?

"Y'all" is often used, as is "fixing." I also agree about the "coke" for all soft drinks.

The cattle & hat thing is something I've never heard & I'm a native Texan. My husband often says things like "hotter than two rats in a wool sock," but he's from Louisiana and they're crazy there.

::heehee:: Love ya honey!

Houston Pro

My favorite is "He's so cheap he'll squeeze a nickel 'til the buffalo farts."

Sorry. :)

newyorkgal71

Y'all come back now, yah he'ah!

TASHAN W

lawl noobzorz + 7 mana ftw!!!11one

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